Team Player and Motivator

Just a few months ago I was “googling” stuff and came upon the school of thought known as Stoicism. I was intrigued and fell victim to curiosity. I eventually found people like Ryan Holiday, Carrie Sheffield who seemed to be very successful, content and happy.

The basic idea is that you cannot control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to what happens to you.

Like I said, this have been very recent, but I am enthusiastic upon my new discovery.

The book “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius is one of the key works in the Stoic world. I am still reading it, it is not a one day read. In fact, it is recommended that you read a sentence, maybe a paragraph and then lean back and reflect on what you just read.

It took me a little bit to realize what this means. At least to me, it means that things that impede you from doing something become an essential part of doing that something. Things will pop up that will strain you from achieving your goals, you can either sit and complain and worry about it or accept it and figure out how to overcome it.

Quotes like this are good for me and for you too. I have a big Stoic reading list ahead of me and I look forward to learning new insights on how to live a better and happier life.

I often times open my computer and go straight to Google Maps. I don’t know if it is my love for maps ( I grew up obsessing over Atlas’s) or the fact that I want to go on a vacation. I just find it fascinating and intriguing that I literally have the whole world to “explore” and I can do it virtually through Google Maps.

When I open Google Maps I love to look at the big cities. You know, Mexico City, Los Angeles, New York, Beijing, London and Madrid. The big ones. I look through the streets, see the big buildings, the different structures and I am left in awe.

Awe in the world we live in.

Just think of the amount of people that live on Manhattan Island, 1.26 Million people. Manhattan does not have a lot of space. Think of all the garbage these people produce in a day. Think of all the food these people have to eat in a day. Think of the diversity of these people. They all have different stories, different heritages, different ideas. All these people have jobs that they go to. Think of all the transactions that take place in this small place. All the communication that takes place.

To me, it is fascinating.

To me, a big city is a place where people who are different come together and work for the common good. Granted, cities are not perfect. Los Angeles has traffic. New York smells like urine. Paris is full of homeless people.

I am not saying that big cities are these perfect places, they aren’t.

What I am saying is that when you look around and see everything that surrounds you, the buildings, the roads, the parks. Our accomplishments are not slim. Our ideas are being executed. Our future is being written. And it motivates me.

Chicago’s skyline has always been the most intriguing to me.

I lived in Cincinnati for a year. It is such a beautiful city right on the Ohio river.

New York City, the city that never sleeps. I have only visited this city once. When I did, I was in awe the whole time.

Los Angeles is massive. This city is more horizontal in comparison to its rival vertical city, New York.

I will be graduating with an Accounting degree. Accounting offers so many opportunities that are both challenging and exciting. An Accounting major can go into taxation, audit and many industry jobs. I have chosen the Audit path.

Why does the economy need auditors?

Companies produce goods and or services that people either need or want. The consumer wants or needs these goods or services for one reason or another. In order for these businesses to flourish, they need funding. Whether they get this money from debt, issuing stock or investors, they need reliable information about their business. Auditors provide assurance that this information ( Financial Statements) is reliable. In turn, Auditors keep the economy alive by making sure these financial statements can be relied on.

Conclusion:

Accounting is the language of business and in my opinion, the most valuable business degree to receive. This is why I chose to study Accounting.

I have been wanting to do a post about this for some time now. I feel that a lot of people who do not go into business or some related business field tend to think that those going into business only think of the supposed large paychecks. Although part of that may be true, I would argue that business is more than just making money.

Companies offer products or services for peoples use. These products and services are meant to provide the customer either something they need or want. This is applicable whether the service is fixing bad brakes for a customer’s automobiles or selling them the latest and greatest laptop. These products are attractive enough to these customers that they are willing to sacrifice their own assets on their end. That is the beauty of a lot of business transactions, it is a win-win for both sides.

There are millions of business transactions that happen on a daily basis. When you stop and think about it, it is quite a beautiful thing. Two parties who are willing to help each other for each others assets, knowledge and expertise. Whether you like it or not, no matter your political views, business helps the world become a better place.

When I started my career at Vivint Solar I really started to pay attention to business and how it impacts the world and individuals. In 2012, Vivint Solar had less than 500 accounts. The company is now the second largest solar provider in the United States.

This was exciting to me, to be a part of something big, something new and something real. This is when I started to consider going into business.

I ended up beginning my education as an accounting major.

Accounting is about organizing numbers and data rather than complicated equations.

Chances are your boss will provide you with feedback, suggestions and ideas on how to improve.

It is key to understand that this is your superior’s job.

I have come to find out that a boss loves having an employee who is coach-able, teachable and willing to listen to their ideas.

It is important to not defend yourself or react negatively to their ideas.

If you disagree with their idea, explain why and back yourself with some solid reasons. If you see where your boss is coming from, make sure you understand what they want you to do differently.

If you do these simple things while interacting with your superior, you will show them that you care about the company. They will see that you are willing to listen to them and that you have the desire to implement ways to improve your department.

The point is, be coach-able, let others with experience mold you and influence your decision making. They are there for a reason.